大象传媒

The German POW's were utilised in local farming in our area. We had them working on our farm. They came from Ponteland Camp.

The POW's were sent out of the camp every weekday to work. One day Max was sent out although ill with the flu. Max spent the day lying on the settee by the living room fire, being fed with homemade broth.

When the lorry called to collect the prisoners, a man, the largest I had ever seen as a child was called. I vividly remember him stooping to come through the door of the living room lifting Max like he was a small child, in his arms and carrying him some 50 or 60 yards to the lorry.

I later found out that this very large man had been a student for the priesthood prior to the war, and later, after the war he became a Roman Catholic priest.

In 1984 a German arrived at what was my family home during the war at Stannington, Northumberland. He was asking for me by name, but unfortunately the relative who spoke to him did not give a forwarding address.

His name was Heinz and he had been a POW who spent his sixteenth birthday in our family home. All that I know is, that he was an engineer who did business between Germany and England, and spoke English with a Georgie accent.

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